Families of children with anorectal malformations learn a specialist vocabulary quickly. The terms below are the ones used most often in clinic letters and on hospital rounds.
Diagnosis
ARM (anorectal malformation), also called imperforate anus: the anus and rectum did not develop normally before birth. Fistula: an abnormal connection, for example between the rectum and the urethra (rectourethral fistula) or the skin (perineal fistula). Cloaca: in girls, the rectum, vagina and urethra share a single opening; the most complex form. Hirschsprung’s disease: nerve cells (ganglion cells) are missing from the end of the bowel so it cannot relax; diagnosed by rectal biopsy. VACTERL: a pattern of associated anomalies (vertebral, anal, cardiac, tracheo-oesophageal, renal, limb) that is screened for at birth. Tethered cord: the spinal cord is fixed at its lower end; checked by ultrasound or MRI because it is associated with ARM. Anorectal manometry: a test of pressure and reflexes in the rectum and anal canal.
Surgery
Colostomy: a temporary opening of the colon on the abdomen, often the first operation in a newborn. Pull-through: the repair that brings the bowel down to the anus. PSARP (posterior sagittal anorectoplasty), the Peña operation: the pull-through done through an incision in the midline of the buttocks, standard since the 1980s. Laparoscopic-assisted pull-through: the same repair with keyhole assistance for high malformations. Anoplasty: reconstruction of the anal opening for low malformations. Dilatation: daily stretching of the new anus with graded dilators for months after surgery. Stoma closure: the operation that reverses the colostomy.
After surgery
Bowel management: a programme of diet, medication and enemas to keep a child clean when the muscles or nerves do not allow normal control. Antegrade continence enema (ACE, Malone procedure): a small channel from the abdominal wall to the colon, often made from the appendix, through which a flushing enema is given. Cecostomy: a similar channel made with a tube or button. Encopresis: soiling from overflow when the bowel is constipated. Continence: the goal, usually assessed from school age onward.
This site is an independent reference; treatment decisions belong with the child’s surgical team.
